Basically my step dad is an idiot. All he ever does is complain about my car, but got to keep him happy as he is giving me like 4 grand in a few years for a new car (which will most likely be old and piss him off even more) anyway, he keeps on about me modifing my car and then got to the point of wheels. 14" atm and he was like its illegal to not have a spare wheel (obviously wont find in wheel well.) and said that it would fail an MOT. At this point i laughed a lot. But then began to wonder, Is that actually true haha?

may add, i did google but different websites say different things

some old minis didn't have them and most cars with big wheels don't so I'd say thats bull

yeah thats what i was thinking. Just searched police question thingy and it said that you dont have to carry one or does it have to be legal tread limit. However once fitted must be roadworthy etc etc

mine passed 2 months ago with no spare.....iirc MOT rules say that IF there is a spare it must have legal tread, no punctures etc but theres no rule to say that there MUST be one

I still keep one of my steelies in the wheel well just incase i need it

No rules to say that you need a spare, but there are rules to state that in the even of a puncture there is a means of temporary repair/replacement.

Ie a spare wheel or that tyre repair shit that you inject into the tyre!

No legal requirement to carry a spare but if you have one it must be legal.

Complete Bull. My MK1 passed 2 mot's with no spare. They don't test it if its not there. And as said no legal requirement for one.

i thought he was talking crap. Hes an idiot anyway. Such a stinge, Mum and him drive 30k cars haha and i have 300 quid car. Really couldn't care though, love my polo and would rather have it than a clio or corsa which just fill the college car park and driven by numptys

a lot of modern cars dont come with a spare - especially those with run flats etc

some just recommend a can of goo

No legal requirement to carry a spare but if you have one it must be legal.

yup

your post should have started and ended with my stepdad is an idiot.

enough said.

oh and a 14 inch alloy with 195/45 tyre on it will fit in the spare wheel well :)

Edited 4 November, 201114 yr by grungeisdead

You don't need a 14in spare as long as 13's will fit over the brakes - my wheels are wide but my spare is well skinny. Just chuck a space saver in there, doesn't need to be as big as the other wheels.

And i don't think the tester cares about the spare, even if it's there. We've been through this debate on the site before and i know i've sent flat tyres through a pass. You could have several bald tyres in the boot, doesn't mean you'll fail on them, put a bloody bike tyre in there if you like - i'm sure it's not in the test whatsoever.

Its "Supposed" to be tested, normally the tester opens the boot, sees some stuff in there and closes it = Pass

TBH in this day and age most people dont know how to do something as easy as change a flat tyre after all thats what the RAC is for.

No No No.. the spare wheel is not tested in the MOT.. it doesn't matter if one is there or not. Even if it is there and its flat and bald then it makes no difference.... as its not part of the test. Worse case is that you might get an advisory which is basically what the tester does to cover their back!

Same with the rear wash wipe.. it is not part of the test. And even if it is there it doesn't have to be working!

Aint illegal to have no spare wheel

for m.ot reasons you dont need a spare wheel either

however if you do have a spare wheel for m.o.t it needs to have legal tread

however if you do have a spare wheel for m.o.t it needs to have legal tread

no it doesn't! its not tested in the MOT :)

however if you do have a spare wheel for m.o.t it needs to have legal tread

no it doesn't! its not tested in the MOT :)

really? i was told by m.o.t testers tht if my spares bold take it out before m.o.t ....... my bad

however if you do have a spare wheel for m.o.t it needs to have legal tread

no it doesn't! its not tested in the MOT :)

really? i was told by m.o.t testers tht if my spares bold take it out before m.o.t ....... my bad

At most they can put an advisory on :)

4.1 Tyres (Structure)

Information

This inspection applies to Tyres fitted to the road wheels only. The vehicle presenter should be informed when it is noticed that there is a defective tyre on a spare wheel.

Most cars these days don't come with spare wheels.. They have this gluey shit that you put through your tyre valve that seals the hole so you can get home/to a garage. If a car comes in on a spare wheel that's a different size to the rest of the wheels it'll fail. Like on a space saver or something.. Gotta have the same size wheels n tyres on the same axle

from the aa's legal advice page

Spare tyre

You are not obliged to carry a spare and it does not have to comply with the legal requirements while it is stowed away. However, when fitted to the vehicle (for example, following a puncture) it must then comply with the law. The spare is not tested in the MOT but the examiner may draw your attention to an unserviceable item as a matter of courtesy.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/legal-advice/tyres.html

A space saver, if fitted only has to ave the same rolling radius surely?

well mine doesnt have one from the factory, The batterys sat in there!

from the aa's legal advice page

Spare tyre

You are not obliged to carry a spare and it does not have to comply with the legal requirements while it is stowed away. However, when fitted to the vehicle (for example, following a puncture) it must then comply with the law. The spare is not tested in the MOT but the examiner may draw your attention to an unserviceable item as a matter of courtesy.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/legal-advice/tyres.html

The as per usual the AA are failing. Its still in the MOT testers manual and was a testable item 2months ago as the MOT tester went to look at it during my test and found the wheel well contained my auxiliary tool store.

well mine doesnt have one from the factory, The batterys sat in there!

Only because hair dressers wouldn't know what to do with a spare wheel if it was there.

:lol: